Changed by Carter
by Darkhero35
Summary: John Reese has lost Joss Carter. That's what he is thinking, but things are complicated. There may be HOPE...
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Some of you may remember this one eventually. I wrote this story back in January 2014 and posted it on my tumblr blog for our Joss Carter event "Changed by Carter" (during that time, we had these monthly events to honor the character of Joss Carter). I called this story "Samaritan". I never thought for a second to post it here, to be honest, because I simply felt that it wasn't good enough, since my writing is sooooooo not in the same league as of all these wonderful Careese fanfiction writers here hahahahha. Anyways today I was about to delete this one here and somehow that made me feel sad. Sigh, so I finally decided to post it here.**

 **It's totally AU, because to me Joss Carter will always be alive, I don't own any of the characters and sadly me didn't have someone for a "proofreading". Since English isn't my spoken language I'm sorry for all the mistakes. ;-))).  
**

* * *

It has been nearly three months months, since he lost the woman who meant the world to wasn't a single day without him being reminded of her beautiful smile, her doe eyes, who always had that certain twinkle if looking at him. Her smile that only he managed to get from her, if he teased her the right way. God, he missed her so much.

No, John Reese wasn't the same man he used to be since that fateful day Simmons tracked them down in that alley.

He was a broken man.

After he gave himself a few weeks off, he had returned to New York and continued to work for Finch. Not because he wanted to, but he couldn't get rid of this thought that this was what she expected from him. And he couldn't deny this woman anything, even if she was gone now. Besides what else could he do? There was nothing left in his life. His only hope was that someone maybe would put him out of his misery.

No, he really wasn't the same man he used to be. He felt dead inside and that feeling wouldn't stop. God how he wished he could have died with her.

Today was one of his worse days. He had dreamed of her. They just had left the precinct. She looked so gorgeous that day. He remembered that he thought she couldn't look more beautiful now that she had gotten her badge back and all the weight she was carrying with her since her demotion seemed to have vanished.

He realized at that moment that he was hopelessly in love with her. And this time he wouldn't shut his mouth. He was scared as hell, but he couldn't forgive himself, if he didn't tell her how he felt. That was his plan, but just as he was about to reveal everything Simmons showed up and a moment later she was dying in his arms.

"Joss." he whispered as a single tear runs down his cheek. He found himself standing infront of her grave.

"Having again some worse day, honey? "

He nodded to the old lady who nearly spent as much time on the graveyard as he did, if his time during saving numbers, hunting Vigilance and searching for more information about this second machine allows him to.

"You are still young. I know it's hard and it didn't help, but trust me, god has a plan for everyone. There is good samaritan waiting for everyone." she said and pat him on the back.

"Maybe if you keep telling me that everytime you sneak in behind me I will one day really believe you, even if i have lost mine." Reese answered her sadly before he said goodbye to Joss for today.

Lionel was waiting and someone needs to get saved.

* * *

 **2 Months ago.**

Beep. Beep. Beep.

She slowly was trying to open her heavy eyelids.

"Welcome back among the living Joss Carter." An unfamilar voice was greeting her as she finally managed to open her eyes.

"John?" was the only word she managed to get out before drifting back into sleep. She felt incredibly weak.

The second time she opened her eyes, she was greeted by a friendly looking man who seemed to be her doctor.

"How are we feeling today Mrs. Carter? You are already looking quite nicely considering the fact that you were dead and we were having a hard time to bring you back to life. That guardian angel of yours did one hell of a job, too." he said with a light chuckle.

So she really died in Johns arms that night and it wasn't just a bad dream, she realized then. "John, what happened to him? I need to see him, is he okay?" She couldn't bear the thought that something bad had happened to him and she didn't know. "John…" she whispered as she was trying to get up. The doctor stopped her.

"Shhh Mrs. Carter. You need to calm down. You had been sleeping over a month now and finally your condition isn t life-threatening anymore, but it really was a close call and you now have to concentrate on your recovery. Do you understand me?" She nodded her head.

And with that the doctor put a single bullet out of his pocket and left it on the nearby table. Then he injected her something and she drifted back into a light sleep.

"But what about my family? John? Where are they?" No, something wasn't right here. Absolutely not. She remembered thinking.

The third time she woke up there wasn't anyone there. She was all alone and her body was still weak and painful, but she could manage to think clear. Where the hell was she? Why wasn't her family by her side? And what was about John? Could it be that he hasn't made it? Then she remembered the panic in his eyes as she was dying in his arms. Oh god she needed to see him. That feeling was overwhelming her.

The door opened and her doctor together with two nurses entered the room. After they had finished their medical examination the doctor turned his attention back to her "I'm sorry i haven't introduced myself yet. I am Doctor Ambrose. You got shot nearly 1 1/2 months ago. Your family thinks you are dead. Your funeral was terrible sad and no, this here is not some witness protection. I am sorry but this is all me am allowed to tell you, so please try to keep calm and don't cause us any trouble. Your room is monitored and there is no way out. We are not the enemies. You are save here. Just get better okay?"

And with that he just left the room and a speechless Joss Carter.

Joss realized that she wasn't physically able to do anything right now, so she made herself a mental note to find out everything about this mysterious place she had been taken, this doctor Ambrose and most of all why she had been captured.

Her view stayed on the lonely bullet laying on the table next to her. That must be the one Simmons put into her chest. She remembered that sudden pain she felt as that bullet hit her, a feeling that only surpassed by the fear of losing John. Damn it, she needed to do something.

Suddenly she realized there was a phone on the table too.

 _Nice try fellas, check out the room before you try to keep someone hidden in there_. But her hope of maybe hearing Johns voice again died immediately as she took the phone in her hand. It was dead. Of course it had to be.

* * *

 **Half a month later**

Joss was already walking again. Not that she wasn't allowed to go anyway far, but at least she was able to walk again. To be quite honest Joss Carter was about to kill someone, because after all that time she hasn't found out anything in particular about her situation. In fact it has gotten worse, she started to like this Doctor Ambrose. He was the only person who was allowed to talk to her and beside the fact she was dying to get out of this place, she missed to talk to some familar faces. But giving up wasn't Joss Carter. No, in fact she had come up with a plan.

* * *

 **Another two weeks later**

Joss felt terrible. Her escape plan she used that poor Doctor for completely failed. A guy everyone called Collier showed up and made it clear that he wasn't willing of letting her go. She later realized it was his voice she first heard as she woke up here at this awful place. Now her situation has gotten worse. Ambrose seemed to have vanished, nobody was talking to her anymore and the worst thing of them all: She hasn't found out anything major about her situation except the fact that this Collier guy seemed like THE ONE guy calling the shots here.

Joss Carter was about to give up. The need to see her family and friends, but most importantly John slowly was killing her and she had no idea what to do now. So she turned her attention back to the two bullets in her hand. She remembered how surprised she was as she found Johns bullet in her leather jacket, Ambrose had given back to her some time ago, because she thought she had lost it forever. So this here had become her little ritual lately. Playing with those two bullets. The one from John and the one who nearly killed her. It was the only reminder of her old life and those bullets kept screaming to her to never give up.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnngggggg.

It was the phone. Joss nearly dropped the two bullets.

Suddenly the always dead phone started to ring and as she took the call she was listening to a male computer voice.

"Can. You. Hear. Me. Detective. Jocelyn. Carter?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Three months ago.**

Joss Carter had been watched. Everything she did during the last few weeks had been monitored by him. He had plans for her. She was important for this solo mission he had created, but now it nearly was too late. Her social security number has come up and he remembered wondering why nobody of her "team" seemed to react.

So he made preparations. Something he wasn't used to do to be quite honest. He even called her, but the stubborn woman did not pay any attention to him. So he was following all her movements today and couldn't detect any danger until he located this crooked cop Simmons armed and hiding in the alley around the precinct she just went in to free that man who was working for _HER_.

He then realized that the time finally has come now and that the woman who was so important for his mission was left in great danger.

No he won't lose her. Not today. He started to dial all the numbers who mattered. EMT's, Police…and just as he had finished everything he could do Joss Carter had been shot and was lying in the arms of the man working for _HER_.

He wondered why _SHE_ hadn't called earlier as he listened to the crying sound of _HER_ calling to warn them. Too late it just seemed, but _SHE_ didn't know that he already had been a step ahead of _HER_.

No, Joss Carter won't die tonight. He had calculated everything as he monitored the EMT's arriving at the scene and the two man working for _HER_ reluctantly leaving Joss Carters body before all hell broke lose around the precinct. He noticed the look of overwhelming pain on the face of the man in a suit. If he actually was able to feel anything, he would have called the man to let him know not to worry, but since he just was a machine he felt no need for that, because right now Joss Carter was his main priority. Without her, he wouldn't be able to save _HER._

 **Back at the hospital.**

"Can. You. Hear. Me. Detective. Jocelyn. Carter?" he asked as she finally took the call.

* * *

Having spend the entired last hour talking with some kind of machine who called himself "Samaritan" Joss started to wonder if she really was alive or just had been tranferred into some kind of parallel universe.

But she remembered that this voice tried to warn her on that fateful night 2 1/2 month ago. If she just had listened then, but since she just had gotten her badge back that day her mind was somewhere else. It was focussed on John Reese. She remembered she wanted to see him so badly again, the man who had captured her heart by storm.

At least she now knew he was still alive. As a matter of fact she now knew everything. This "Samaritan" had informed her about everything that was going on and she really had a hard time in believing all the things she just heard, but come to think of it. Now it all made sense. The numbers. Their informations. Everything.

Why Samaritan had called her to be the one, well that still made no sense to her, but if it made her escape from this place, she would have no problem with it. She just wanted out of here. It had been too long since she was gone. And now was the time to change that fact.

But before she could leave she had to fulfill a special mission. A mission Samaritan had choosen her for. And Samaritan had indeed come up with a plan.

Since Vigilance, she had learned that this was the group who had saved her life because of Samaritan and hold her captured since then, was completely trusting Samaritan it was easy for the machine to manipulate the group. In fact they thought Joss Carter was important for their current mission.

It was easy for Samaritan setting up wrong numbers. Creating fake missions. Manipulate the monitors in the building. Vigilance simply didn't notice anything.

Nearly two weeks later it was show time.

Joss Carter was once again on a solo mission. She would have lied, if she said she didn't like it. As a matter of fact the more often she was doing this she slowly started to feel that she could get used to it.

"John would be proud of me." she had to giggle to herself "God, Joss stop it or didn't you wanna out of here?" she had to remind herself. "Focus on the mission, soldier."

And with that she left to get the heart of Samaritan. A disk with all the data about this machine. The key to Vigilance. And the only thing able to save Harolds Machine.

* * *

John Reese had to smile. Something he wasn't used to anymore. The reason for that smile was Lionel Fusco. The poor guy was trying so hard to be there for him, cheer him up, yell at him that he didn't realize he had slowly turned into a Joss Carter Clone.

John wasn't offended by it, no, in fact he really liked Lionel and his company was comfortable. He just thought to himself that Lionel would make a worse Joss Carter and somehow that put a smile on his face.

"What's so funny Wonderboy? Wanna fill me in"? Fusco shouted out as he was having trouble to keep up the pace with Reese who was busy following their latest number.

"Maybe a little later." Reese was amused. He really liked it to tease the people he cared for. A sudden flashback to his flirty banter with Carter hit him from out of nowhere and he abruptly had to stop, which causes Fusco to run into him.

"So what is that all about now?" he was greeted by his second favorite detective.

"It's nothing." Reese cut him short. "You see this guy over there? That is our new number. A mysterious doctor named Malcolm Ambrose. His number came up last week and so far nothing had happened, which is suppose i guess a good thing, but Finch is worried and something like that never happened before."

"What that Finch gotten worried?" Fusco ironical remarked. It only caused him a deadly stare by Reese.

" Okay i got it. You are once again in some filthy mood. Geez i wished you guys never told me what you do. I used to like hanging around in the precinct and receive annoying phone calls from you. But this here…"

"So you still are afraid of Root? Is that it, Lionel?" John was amused by Fuscos behaviour. This guy wasn't afraid of anyone, but when it comes to Root he was acting like a little child.

"That nut job better not call me anymore." Fusco yelled back at Reese.

"I wouldn't bet on that fact Lionel. She seems to like you." Reese couldn't help it. He liked it to piss off Fusco.

"So what's up with that Ambrose guy?" Fusco obviously attempted to change the topic.

"Besides the fact that he is our latest number. Nothing. There isn't much information on him. He seems like a normal person, but he definetely got something to hide and that's why we are here. You take care of Ambrose as long Shaw and i try to find out what it is that he is hiding from us."

That being said John already had disappeared.

* * *

"So this is how John and Harold do their magic. After all not so spectacular, if you are getting used to it." She had to grin. Maybe, just maybe John and her could go on a mission together now that she knew everything. But knowing him and his overreaction if it comes to stuff like that and her, maybe that wasn't her brightest idea. "Well time will tell, Detective." and with that she finally got out of the building, who had been her home for three months now.

Joss Carter was a free woman.

Finally.

She took in a deep breath of fresh air as she look upon the tiny disk in her hand. Samaritan guided her well thru her mission. She remembered feeling like a female version of James Bond with all the stuff she had done there in one of Vigilance hideouts.

Nobody really had any clue what was happening to them and she really appreciated her mechanical partner who was aware of simply everything. Just as Samaritan was about to evacuate the building Malcolm Ambrose showed up.

Apparently he was on his own mission too. She didn't had the chance to reach out for him, since she was heading into the opposite direction of the building, but she saw him on a monitor. The same thing Collier must have seen, because she heard sudden gunshots fired.

She wondered what Ambrose mission had been about, since the only thing it got him was a bullet of Collier.

With all the action happening on the opposite of the building, she sadly couldn't do anything about it, except escaping without getting noticed. And that is what she did.

So Joss Carter indeed was free and it felt great.

Now it was finally time for her to rise from the dead. She felt joy and fear at the same time. And she got a special gift for Harold, so everything seemed to be ready for her big return.

But before that she wanted to visit her grave. She didn't understand the urge of that need, but something was drawing her to it.

With one last greeting to the nearby camera monitoring her, she left the scenery. What she didn't know was, that Ambrose was sent by Samaritan for a diversion. His death was anticipated.

The mission had been completed successfully.

* * *

They had lost their number.

John felt like he just had let down Joss. And he hated to feel that way. Of course it wasn't his fault. It was more going on with Malcolm Ambrose than they knew. This mysterious doctor was acting like a chameleon and obliterated his tracks very well. It seemed like he had been trained by the best. And it was obvious that he was on a serious mission.

He even managed to get rid of Shaw, an issue she was having a hard time with, but Reese managed to track Ambrose down to what seemed like a private clinic.

By the time Reese and Shaw arrived on the scene all the action had already taken place.

The clinic looked like it had been evacuated in a rush and there was nobody left in the building except their dying number.

Ambrose seemed to recognize John, because he was desperately trying to tell him something. "Vigilance…save…was coming for her…Jo…."…but he wasn't able to get anything coherent out before he died.

Obviously Malcolm Ambrose had something to do with Vigilance. Reese was cursing himself, because this had been their first big trail after weeks of nothing and he just wasn't able to save the man.

Fate and John Reese a bad combination, he was about to drift off in self-pity again, but Shaw called him and he found himself back at what appears now as a secret hideout of Vigilance.

After they found out that there wasn't anything more to find out, Shaw and Reese left the place. Finch called for an emergency meeting in the library and they were on their way.

So after they round up everything about Vigilance and their hideout they could come up with, they were sure that another storm was heading for the machine and its team members. It was then that John decided that he needed to pay a certain someone a visit to put himself at ease.

So he once again left his team to be near her for some final time.

* * *

Staring at her own grave was a surreal feeling. She wondered how everyone else was feeling right now. Taylor, her mom, Paul. She just felt guilty, because she had put everyone in so much pain without even knowing. Will her family and friends ever being able to forgive her? What about John? Will he?

"Geez stop it Joss." she told herself. She wasn't a woman of doubt.

Standing just there Joss didn't realize an old lady slowly approaching her.

"Oh. I was expecting to meet the tall sad man here now. It's the time he usually showed up here. He is a little late. I hope everything is okay with him. He seemed so lost. Do you know this Joss Carter who touched his heart in such ways, that he still can't forget her?!" the old lady asked her with a sad smile.

"Well she indeed was kinda special." Joss told her with simple smile.

She suddenly wanted to leave. She wasn't ready to meet John right now. She wasn't prepared to meet his beautiful face, his deep blue eyes, his husky voice. No, she just needed to be on her own for just a little more time and she knew exactly the place she wanted to be right now.

So she put down the bullet he left her in the morgue together with the bullet Dr. Ambrose gave her and left the graveyard.

A few moments later John Reese arrived.


	3. Chapter 3

Something felt different today. It just seemed that Joss touched him all the way to her grave. Hell he even thought there was a slight taste of her jasmine scent in the air. "Well now there is the time me finally am losing my mind." John thought to himself. He had brought along a single rose today.

"Joss, I'm sorry, but i won't be able to come as often as i used to. We got certain issues again. The world seems to need me", he let out a small chuckle, "so please forgive me. I bought you a rose and i wanted to let you know that I love you and always will do ." He was close to tears yet again as he put down his rose and he wondered if this pain would ever go away.

God it was pathetic he thought, but everything he told her moments ago was absolute true.

He was about to leave as he realized that there were two bullets resting on Joss grave.

Confused he took them into his hand. Was that some kind of sick joke or what? He felt disgusted, but then he realized that wasn't an unknown bullet. No, it was HIS bullet who he was holding in his hand right now. The one he left in the morgue as he was trying to protect her life. Who put it down here? Could it be…? His heart skipped for a beat. That second bullet was that hers? Could it be…her? No, noo, nooo, that must be some kind of bad dream again.

Once again he didn t realize that the old lady had sneak up to him again "Well there you are, honey. I thought i missed you today and was worried about you. Your lady had a special visitor today. A beautiful lady with a sad smile and soft eyes. She hasn't given me her name, but it seems obvious that this Joss Carter meant alot to her, too. Do you know her?"

John couldn't think straight at this point. His mind was focussed on the two bullets and the grave and he thought he was about to lose his mind completely now. "Ehem well i don't know, how did she look like?" He asked afraid of what the old lady was about to answer him.

"God please let it be her. I don't care if it makes no sense, Joss…" There was a certain feeling awaking deep down in John Reese. Something he thought he had lost three months ago and it was trying to find its way back to him…Hope!

"Well she looked like an angel. I never saw a more gorgeous black lady. But she seemed like she had lost someone dear too. Oh and she left something here. In fact you are holding it in your hand right now, honey. Is everything okay? You don't look so good." she said with a concerned look on her face.

…Angel…black lady…something in John now really had come to life again.

After he found himself in a close hug with the old lady while kissing her on the cheek John Reese was running. Running fast. He needed to find out if it was true. And he knew exactly the place where he had to be right now.

Arriving at "their meeting point" with the same hope he used to had as he was released from Rikers, where his only thought was to meet her and no one else, he found "their place" empty.

Reese was laughing. How could he ever think it could be her. She was dead. There are no happy endings for people like him. He looked down at the two bullets in his hand as he heard a sudden movement not far away.

"Looking for someone?" a familiar voice asked as Carter stepped out of the dark barely able holding back the tears. It was overwhelming to finally see him again. To take in his scent. His beautiful baby blue eyes staring at her in disbelieve. She saw something drop out of his hand, but right now she wanted to be nowhere else as in his arms. They had been separated for too long now.

"No one in particular." he said as his voice broke. He couldn't hold back the tears anymore as he took her in his arms, holding her tight. "Joss." He repeated her name again and again. This overwhelming feeling to have her back alive, her tiny and warm body pressed into his nearly brought him down on his knees. His pulse was rapid, his heart was racing wildly. It felt like heaven on earth. John Reese was alive again.

Witnessing his deep love for her she was absolutely sure now, that there would never be another man in her life who touches her heart the way he does. This feeling of love was mutual. God how she loved him.

"Shhh John. Everything is okay. Shhh. You no longer need to worry. I will not leave you again. I'm here. Shhh." she reassured him by gently stroking his beautiful tearstained face but he refused to let go of her. He was too afraid if he let go he would wake up from this wonderful dream.

"Joss. Please tell me this is not a dream." He pleaded.

"It is not John. I m real. You told me that i m stuck with you, do you remember?" She found herself laughing hysterical.

"But how, you died in my arms?" John tenderly stroke her cheek wiping away the tears with his thumb.

"Samaritan. Vigilance. I know about your mission now."

John was in awe. That woman seemed to never stop to surprise him. " I don t…"

"Later John. I will explain everything, but right now i just wanna be in your arms and feel you." she said as her lips found his and they drift off into a long tender and passionate kiss forgetting everything around themselves.

John only remembered thinking "The old lady was right after all. There was a good samaritan waiting for everyone." before his mind was completely captured by Joss Carter, the love of his life who he thought he had lost forever.

Unknown to Joss and John they had been monitored by both of the machines.

Samaritan and _HER_.

Samaritan was content, because due to Joss Carter there was hope that _SHE_ was able to survive. He not only saved Joss Carter but also his sister, Harolds machine. He knew with handing the information to _HER_ not only would her team be able to shut him down, no they would be able to destroy him. And that was it. The plain and simple plan of Samaritan. And everything was at its rightful place now.

Yes, he indeed was very content.

* * *

Joss let out a soft sigh, which causes her a look of concern from John. She couldn't hold back a smile.

It had been nearly a week since her return of dead and everything just had changed. Her vigilante never left her side. It seemed that he was too afraid if he let her go, she would disappear once again. The only time they were apart from each other was the time she welcomed herself home to her family.

Since then she spent nearly all the time in his arms, because Joss Carter felt the way John Reese felt. Without him she wasn't complete. She remembered the first time they had made love. Her John turned out to be the most sensual wild man she could ever imagine. They were lost in feels. Lost with and in each other. She thought that maybe she really died and was in heaven with him. Her guardian angel.

"What made you smile?" John asked, still playing with her hair.

Joss drifted back into the sweet reality. "I was wondering if you will ever let me go. I have spent four days in your arms now." Joss replied with a light chuckle.

"Not anytime soon, detective!" His deep blue eyes shine brightly and she was rewarded with his typical smirk that made him so damn sexy.

Suddenly Johns face got a serious expression "I love you Joss Carter."

Her eyes started to tear up, she was overwhelmed by her own feelings, "…and i love you too, John. I wanna be forever by your side."

That being said another one of Johns black t-shirts bites the dust!


End file.
